The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for the support of loop handle bag packs of different geometry and the loading of individual bags from said packs. More particularly, the invention pertains to a frame structure adapted to suspend grocery bag packs of different geometry and the dispensing and loading of individual grocery bags from the bag packs in a grocery store environment.
Over the past several years, the use of thermoplastic film grocery sacks has successfully found its way into the supermarket industry. These bags are successful because of their advantages of economy, strength, imperviousness to liquids, ease of carrying, etc. Such bags are employed at the check-out counter of a supermarket in the form of packs of bags wherein a plurality of individual bags are collected together for individual dispensing as needed. Packs of bags are best utilized at the check-out counter with the aid of a rack apparatus designed to suspend the pack and assist in loading of the individual bags. Apparatus of this type are necessary because of the inherent limp nature of the bags which prevent them from standing alone during the process of loading the bags. Bags which now are provided in packs of 100, 150, etc., are quite heavy and require a dispensing and support rack of sturdy construction. In addition, bag packs of different geometry are available and it is now necessary for the supermarkets to be provided with a rack which can conveniently and rapidly suspend bag packs and dispense bags of a different geometry.
Bag packs of two different general geometries can be represented by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,493,419, to Prader and 4,165,832, to Kuklies et al, the disclosures of which are in their entirety incorporated herein by reference. More details will be given below regarding bag packs typified by these two patents.
It would be a significant advance in the art if the supermarket industry could be provided with a suspension and bag loading structure which would expeditiously accommodate more than one different bag pack geometry. It is a primary object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus.